I’m not religious. I was baptized and raised Protestant, but never really “got” it, no matter how much I tried. After years of not fitting in at church — and trying to figure out new ways to get out of going to church — I finally realized that I didn’t have to be religious to be a good person.

That said, I have friends and family from all different faiths and beliefs. It’s always interesting for me to learn about others’ religions. When I worked at the fruit basket place, most of my co-workers were Muslim. Those who weren’t Muslim were Christian. They all passed the work time talking about their beliefs, and I would pass the work time listening to them and soaking it all up. I don’t knock any religion — unless you’re a scientologist; as mean as it sounds, I just don’t get it and I don’t think I’ll ever even try to.

I am a little wary when it comes to discussing religion though. I tend to stick out like a sore thumb because I am not religious, and it actually makes me a little uncomfortable sometimes. My coworkers at the fruit basket place didn’t try to hide the fact that they were baffled by my religion-less lifestyle, and I’m pretty sure that when my boss fired me it was because I don’t believe in a higher power. As interested as I was in what they had to say, I felt a little alienated by their remarks. “How can you not believe in anything?” The way they said it, you’d think I’d just told them I ate babies. “That’s so weird,” they would say.

So I was a little on the defense when I first commented on Fruitful Words, a blog mostly about chronic pain and chronic pain management, focused entirely on women — and Christianity. I didn’t want to admit that I don’t practice Catholicism or even Buddhism, because I was terrified that the blog’s author, Susan, wouldn’t talk to me. I was terrified that the blog’s community would reject me.

I was wrong.

From the very first post I read about what to do and not to do for a woman with chronic pain, I was hooked. From my very first comment, I was accepted with open arms. No one seems to mind that I’m not religious, even though Susan specializes in women’s pastoral chronic pain management. Her advice is sound, and her words are uplifting and encouraging. I have been reading Fruitful Words almost daily since I found it a couple of days ago, because it is really helping to carry me through.

It is with gratitude and pleasure that I pass on some Bloggy Love to Susan.